That Nickel-Slick Badge
by HeatherAshley
Summary: What could have happened if Johns had lived and Riddick died?
1. Parallel

Disclaimer: None of these character are mine, they are property of USA Films and David   
Twohy. Please don't sue me. All I have is pocket lint.  
  
This story is based heavily upon the original script, so while some of it may sound   
familiar, other parts were only in the script. Enjoy.  
  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Canyon ahead. I circled once to buy some time to think." Riddick stared ahead at the   
canyon. What he saw only he knows. Carolyn stared at him. She was getting kind of   
twitchy. "Think about what?"  
  
John jumped into Riddick's face. "About how to kill us and still get these cells to the   
skiff. Goddamnit, we're just doing the heavy lifting for this prick." Riddick grinned at   
him and Johns was reminded of a snarling dog. Then he turned to Carolyn.   
  
"About how to get through the canyon with the girl bleeding." Riddick was staring at   
Jack but Johns and Carolyn still didn't get it. Johns made some smart-ass comment. "Not   
her. Her." Realization dawned. "You've got to be kidding me." Johns was shitting. So,   
Jack the girl. Bleeding. They were going to die because of this damned girl. His trigger   
finger began to itch.  
  
"They been nose-open for her ever since we left." Riddick didn't know what they were   
going to do. He sensed Johns' frustration. Carolyn and Jack's fear. They were all starting   
to lose it.   
  
They argued for awhile. Carolyn wanted to turn tail and head back to the skiff. Johns   
didn't agree. "No, no, you're right, Fry. What's to be afraid of? My life's just a steaming   
pile of meaningless shit anyways. So I say mush on. Canyon's only couple hundred   
meters, after that we're in Skiff City. So why don't you just butch up, stuff a cork in that   
kid, and get…" Johns was unaware that Riddick's finger was also itching and he was   
right in the crosshairs.  
  
After they finally decided to move forward, or Johns decided, he made a move for   
Riddick. Johns had a proposition to make. He didn't exactly want to kill the girl but was   
hoping Riddick would give him an excuse…just an excuse. Moving forward, away from   
the others, he said: "Ain't all of us gonna make it…six of us left. If we could get through   
that canyon and lose just one, that'd be quite a fucking feat, huh? A good thing, right?"  
  
Riddick wondered what Johns was up to and had the sinking feeling he already knew.   
"Not if I'm the one." Johns went on to explain. He wanted Riddick to kill the girl so they   
could drag her as bait. He wanted to laugh. That would never happen. If Johns wanted   
some bait he could get it his damn self. "What's her name anyway?" Johns sneered.   
"Let's not name the Thanksgiving turkey, okay? I assume you still got a shiv." Riddick   
was right.  
  
"What, you 'spect me to do it?" Johns looked at him, surprised. "What's one more to   
you? Like this is the one that sends you to Hell?" Riddick couldn't help himself and   
began to laugh. "Oh, you're a piece of art, Johns. They ought to hang you in a museum   
somewhere. Or forget the museum…maybe they should just hang you."  
  
When the shotgun went off, Carolyn panicked. What if one of them got shot? "Leave the   
sled, let's go, go, go!"  
  
"Only one rule," Riddick stayed close to Johns light. "Stay in the light."  
  
Riddick savored the moment when his shiv entered Johns' back. It was a great one,   
indeed. "Remember that moment?" Johns began to struggle and tried to get his shotgun   
loaded and ready to shoot.  
  
"Shoulda never taken the chains off, Johns. You were one brave fuck before. Now look at   
you. Oh, yeah, you were Billy Bad-ass with your gauge, with your chains, with your   
badge…" John took aim with his shotgun. Then he fired. He saw the surprise in   
Riddick's eyes. Riddick began to move forward, shiv in one hand, wound in the other.   
"I'm still Billy Bad-ass." He shot Riddick until there were no bullets left.  



	2. Johns...alive?

Chapter 2  
  
Johns ignored the blood running down his back, and began to jog towards where Carolyn   
and the others were. They had left. "Fuck me." Following their tracks with the light on   
his gauge he ran after them. He had to turn them back to the canyon.  
  
Once he reached and calmed them, they agreed that the canyon was their best bet. They   
must be able to think more clearly with Riddick gone. He oh, so contritely, apologized to   
Carolyn and told her that he would follow her lead. "Fine, Johns. Now, you'll do what I   
say, when I say it. Help Imam with the cells."  
  
Johns and Imam abandoned the sled and they each dragged two cells, with a little help   
from Jack and Carolyn. Imam talked to Johns as they hurried along. "I would like to pray   
with you. I have already prayed with the others." Johns was an atheist but thought he   
would humor Imam. The guy had already lost two of his boys.  
  
When the creature attacked the Imam's third boy, Johns didn't stop. He wanted to get   
some distance so he could have a quick shot of morphine. He didn't realize that Jack was   
following him until it was too late. He heard her scream. Turning, he saw her lying there.   
Screaming. Trapped underneath her bone-shield. Staring at him with those big eyes.   
Carolyn ran to her rescue the stupid bitch. If she died Johns would be stuck on this planet.  
  
He ran back to help her. The creature was head-butting the bones and they were   
beginning to crack. He tackled Carolyn as the beast swung its tail at her. He fell on her   
and wouldn't let her go. "Johns! Johns, you sick fuck. Get off of me, she needs help."  
  
"The only help you're going to give today is helping me get off this sorry-ass planet by   
piloting the skiff. I don't want you getting any brave fuckin' ideas. I need you and only   
you." Johns, even in this most dire of situations, felt himself begin to get aroused. His   
speech was interrupted by a final scream. The thing had finally broken through the bones   
and carried Jack away. Johns got up and brushed off his hands. "Only three left." It began   
to rain, harder and harder. Staring at Imam, he said: "Where's God now? I'll tell you   
where. He's up THERE PISSING on ME!" Imam didn't even have time to reply because   
he was caught in the sights of a creature. It stabbed him through his stomach and out his   
back. With a triumphant shriek from the hungry alien, he was carried away.  
  
"It's just you and me now, Carolyn. Let's move." Johns held out one of the harnesses   
with the cells attached to it. When Carolyn refused to take it, he slapped her. "You fuck.   
You don't care about anything." Johns smiled and put his hand to her cheek, roughly.   
"You're wrong, Carolyn. I care about you. Now move."  
  
They made it to the skiff without any further problems. Johns shoved Carolyn inside and   
dragged the cells onboard. He turned the button that would shut the door. He never even   
looked back. They worked silently. Johns was congratulating himself. He was getting off   
of this planet. Carolyn was disgusted. She wished she had enough courage to rip Johns   
gauge from its holster and shoot him with it. They heard a shriek then a loud bump.  
  
"What the hell?" Johns unholstered his gun. He only had enough time to watch as   
Carolyn was stabbed through the head. There had been a small creature tagging along in   
the back of the skiff. He moved to shoot it but there were no bullets left. Never taking his   
eyes from it he slowly, so slowly, moved to reload the gun. The thing was satisfied   
feasting on Carolyn for the time being. Once he finally got the gun loaded he carefully   
brought it up. There was a blast and the beast fell. Dead. Along with Carolyn.  
  
Johns stared out the windshield of the skiff. They were out there, surrounding the skiff.   
He felt around and his fingers found one last bullet. "Better make this one count." He put   
it in the chamber and glanced at Carolyn one last time, disgusted. Dead. What the fuck?  
  
Johns stared out, not seeing anything. There was a blast and blood sprayed out to cover   
the windshield. The gauge fell from his hand and landed with a thud on the floor.  



End file.
